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WHAT we fund

We fund multigenerational change through an equitable and collaborative model for shared impact.

PERC funds equitable and collaborative impact in cities through trust-based partnerships with locally-rooted community steward organizations with a shared vision to transform the mindsets and practices for unlocking catalytic investments for multigenerational change. We do that by centering our grant investments on the collective power, voices, and expertise of Black and Latine/x communities in the decision-making process and building cross-sector collaborative partnerships.

As a practice of designing and focusing our investments as learning collaboratives with communities, in alignment with out moonshot goal, PERC does not currently accept unsolicited requests for funding.

rooted/pwr Fellowship

The rooted/pwr Fellowship is a 5-month learning + doing grant that responds to a well‑documented gap in locally-rooted initiatives that impact Black and Latine/x communities: organizations are expected to deliver results quickly, equitably, sustainably, and transparently, yet often are operating with fragmented project management systems, limited internal capacity, a lack of frameworks for implementation and sustainability, siloed working groups, and high-levels of community distrust. rooted/pwr is a coordinated, strategic intervention that equips residents, community leaders, and organizations with the tools, support, and collective infrastructure needed, not only to implement well but also to scale and endure well. rooted/pwr represents our conviction that equitable and prosperous multigenerational futures are still possible and necessary.

Through a 5-month learning + doing sequence, the fellowship will nurture scalable ideas that will, in time, lead to multigenerational and transformative change. At its core, the fellowship is not about solving one-off capacity gaps, but building the muscle memory for effective project management practices, implementation methodologies, and practice-based consultancies that can be sustained beyond the pilot period and beyond any single individual It’s about reshaping and rebalancing the way we think about and share power to implement, sustain, and scale impact.

The application window for rooted/pwr is April 1-30, 2026. Please apply at this link.

  • INITIATIVE OVERVIEW

To learn more about the rooted/pwr Fellowship, including goals and outcomes, eligibility, funding structure, and expectations for participation, please view the Grant Overview.

  • APPLICATION SUBMISSION

All fellowship applications must be submitted here.

Power-Building Storytelling Initiative

The Power-Building Storytelling (PBS) Initiative is a new collaborative pilot bringing four organizations together to leverage learning from each other across geographical boundaries in order to reshape and restructure storytelling systems, shift culture, and unlock catalytic investment, ensuring that Black and Brown communities can own and design their own futures.

We are no longer accepting applications for our Power-Building Storytelling (PBS) Initiative.

Illustrations by Sawsan Chalabi

Applicant review, selection, and evaluation

Central to our grant application cycle, from review to evaluation is a holistic approach of each organization’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities for transformation, based on multiple factors:

  • Alignment with perc vision, approach, and priorities
  • City context, including population size, racial demographics, assets, and economies
  • Strength of community-rooted influence and partnerships
  • Potential diversity of sectors to be represented in perc coalition
  • Articulation of coalition’s shared vision for success
  • Commitment to community-driven processes
  • Demonstrated readiness for cross-sector collaboration and shared power
  • Demonstrated readiness for emergent learning process (failing forward)